NAIROBI (AANA) February 10 - The United Nations Environment
Programme
(UNEP) has stressed a commitment to protect the interest of
marginalised
minority groups, saying their wealth on indigenous knowledge could
serve to
preserve biodiversity.

Addressing UNEP delegates before launching a micro study report on
Kenya's
Castaways - The Ogiek and National Development Processes, New
York's UNEP
representative, Mr Adnan Amin, assured Kenya's indigenous peoples
that UNEP
will not forsake them.

Mr Amin launched the report on February 4, at the United Nations
Office in
Nairobi during a Civil Society Side Event at the just concluded
Governing
Council Meeting of UNEP (February 3-7).

"Conservation of biodiversity is directly related to survival
of indigenous
peoples cultures, that are repositories of rich indigenous
knowledge about
the environment, hence the need to place more emphasis on their
protection," he said.

Meanwhile, the Kenyan government has promised a comprehensive land
policy
and legal framework that will respect communal land rights.

"There is a serious need to appreciate the importance of the
rich cultural
diversities in Kenya, and to move forward to protect and promote
them,"
said Mr Amos Kimunya, the Minister for Lands and Settlement, while
addressing the delegates who attended the launch.

"I am aware of the aboriginal cases and seeing very clearly
the parallels
with the Ogiek, I can assure you that I am very sympathetic to
your
concerns," he added, while addressing representatives of the
Ogiek community.

Kenya's Castaways - The Ogiek and National Development Processes
is a
four-page report that highlights several issues of concern to the
Ogiek
minority group in Kenya.

The report was published by Minority Rights Group International, a
UK-based
NGO, in partnership with Centre for Minority Rights Development, a
Kenyan
NGO.